Chapter 1

"Is he a local?" Jiang Sheng asked

"You were bullied by your classmates, weren't you?" Jiang Sheng said

I am at the intersection. Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng instantly thought about hanging up the phone and finding a hotel

The big-eyed one continues to shake its head

Of course, she probably won't answer either, Jiang Cheng said "Hello" into the phone.

After staying at a friend's house for a while, Li Baoguo patted his shoulder and said, "Go home, go home... You look taller than in the photos."

Jiang Sheng looked at him with wide eyes: "Your sister is here with me ... ... "

Long and straight

"No, thank you," Jiang Cheng said

Ah, this hand is too stinky... After a long while, Li Baoguo finally answered the phone, "Hello?"

After taking a few glances, Jiang Sheng was somewhat surprised. He initially thought the young girl was just playing around, but to his astonishment, she navigated various slopes, stairs, and executed sudden accelerations, stops, and turns with remarkable ease.

A few little girls walked away, but the big-eyed one broke free from his hand

Gu Fei appeared to be about the same age as herself; his eyes did not resemble those of Gu Miao's brother, as they were not as large as Gu Miao's. His skin was quite fair.

It has arrived. Jiang Cheng looked at the clock; it has been two hours.

The girl with big eyes remained silent, merely giving a gentle push on the skateboard, gliding over to the nearby bus stop sign, and gazing up for a long time.

"Passerby," Jiang Sheng did not know what to say, "I have a little girl here..."

Jiang Sheng answered the phone: "It's too late, the ransom has already been torn up"

Gazing out the window at the scenery that constantly changes yet seems perpetually the same, the broadcast finally announced Jiang Sheng's destination. The girl beside him stirred slightly, appearing to wake up. He quickly pulled a red marker from his backpack, removed the cap, and began to twirl it in his hand.

Disheveled hair hangs loosely, cut unevenly as if chewed by a dog, and the clothes on the body are quite dirty... A beggar? A homeless person? A scammer? A thief?

The signal is not very good at the moment, and he cannot open the ride-hailing interface no matter how he tries. He sat down on the stone pillar next to the bus stop and lit a cigarette

"She does not take up space," Gu Fei said again

Following the crowd exiting the station, Jiang Cheng zipped up his down jacket all the way, gazing at the drab city that appeared dull in the cold winter.

"I am the big brother with a knife," Jiang Cheng looked at her, "I can give you a hairstyle just like hers in thirty seconds."

Until now, at this very moment

The big-eyed individual lowered their head and wrote their name with a stone

"I will call my brother over to deal with you in a moment!" The one who initiated the confrontation was clearly not a habitual offender; upon hearing this, he shrank back a bit, yet still refused to back down verbally

"I am your father," said the man

The man over there also chuckled a couple of times: "My name is Li Baoguo, you know that, right"

Jiang Sheng stared at her for a while, and seeing that she had no intention of speaking, he suppressed his anger and dragged his suitcase forward again

"No, are you mute?" Jiang Sheng began to feel somewhat irritated

The sound was a bit loud, so Jiang Sheng slightly moved the phone away: "Yes."

How how how why why why BLABLABLABLA

Why did you leave so suddenly

Jiang Sheng did not call again; he simply sent a text message along with a photo of wide-open eyes

When she returned to Jiang Cheng's side on her skateboard, he guessed the reason from her bewildered expression and sighed: "Are you lost? Can't you go back?"

The phone call came in from that side after 30 seconds

The message was sent by Yu Xin, presumably unable to make a call due to attending supplementary classes, and at a glance, it is filled with question marks

Jiang Sheng forcefully snapped the cap onto the pen, producing a sharp click sound

"Is that Jiang Sheng?" A middle-aged man's voice came from over there

The girl with big eyes squatted down beside his legs, picked up a stone, and wrote the character "哥" in a crooked manner on the ground, then looked up at him

Staring at the ice on the ground, filled with anger, he fumbled for a lighter in his pocket. Leaning against the cold wind, he curled up and lit a cigarette, watching the smoke disperse before him, he let out a sigh

What does it mean? Jiang Sheng looked at a phone number that had already been entered but not dialed, "Shall I help you call?"

"Who?" A male voice came from over there

The big-eyed one nodded slightly

However, it is of no concern, for he is already here. Given the vast distance, not to mention the homeroom teacher, even those who have lived in the same room with him for over ten years may never meet again

The phone was very quiet, and Yu Xin's messages did not ring again, nor were there any missed calls

When the phone rang, Jiang Cheng was sitting in a KFC whose location he did not know. He glanced at the unfamiliar number and answered, "Hello?"

I am furious! Jiang Sheng felt an impulse to smash his phone, pointing at the big-eyed person, "What is your name!"

Two seconds later, she suddenly covered her face and rushed towards the bathroom.

Immediately

I tell you, I, "Jiang Sheng" pointed to myself, "am currently in a very bad mood, extremely irritable, and I don't hold back at all when I hit little girls, you know that

The car has been driving for nearly three hours, yet the sky outside the window remains overcast. The girl sitting beside him is still asleep, her forehead resting comfortably on his shoulder, and his right shoulder has gone completely numb

Gu Fei climbed onto the vehicle and put on his helmet, while Gu Miao nimbly climbed onto the back seat and wrapped her arms around his waist

This time the luck was quite good, as I managed to catch a taxi right away. The heating in the car was also turned up very high, making it feel almost feverish.

Before Jiang Sheng could regain his composure, the call was disconnected

Hmm. Jiang Sheng hung up the phone

No one

Then you ... ... go home. Jiang Cheng also nodded, took out his phone, and thought about calling a car while walking.

Just then, after about five minutes, as Jiang Cheng was at the intersection trying to hail a taxi while dragging his suitcase, a man wearing a Lei Feng cap ran over, grabbed his arm, and shouted loudly, "Are you Jiang Cheng?"

"Thank you, brother," Gu Fei pointed at him and said to Gu Miao, "dung ball"

After walking for a while, he heard a sound behind him. He turned around and discovered that the big-eyed person was slowly following him on a skateboard.

It feels like this is the most comforting moment with Yu Xin in recent days, which is not easy to come by

However, no one other than Yu Xin has contacted him

"Go ahead and collect the ransom." The other side responded and then hung up the phone

Nod

Jiang Sheng made a concerted effort to discern the specific appearance of the city, yet the sky had already darkened considerably, the streetlights barely illuminating the surroundings, and the snowflakes swirling in the halo of light created a dizzying effect for the observer

Only when the person raised their head did he realize that this was a little girl who appeared to be in the fifth or sixth grade of elementary school. Although her face was covered in dirt, it was evident that her skin was quite fair and her eyes were very large

Just as he was about to put his phone back in his pocket, the seventh message came through

As I lowered my head, tears carved a deep line across my face

After sitting on the skateboard for a while, Gu Miao stood up and glided back and forth on the sidewalk on the skateboard

Why didn't you tell me

Having only smoked half a cigarette, Jiang Cheng began to feel the cold and could no longer endure it. He stood up, intending to take a taxi to find a place to eat first. As he dragged his suitcase and took a step, he felt something collide with his ankle, and the impact was quite strong, causing him a moment of pain

After playing for more than ten minutes, Gu Miao glided to his side and stopped, her toes hooking and flicking on the skateboard. After catching the board with her hand, she raised her hand and pointed behind Jiang Cheng.

Jiang Sheng pulled up the mask that was hanging under his chin and put it on properly

The person on the vehicle is wearing a helmet, making their face difficult to see, but the legs, propped up on the edge of the sidewalk, dressed in fitted gray pants and short boots, are quite striking

"Who is this person?" Jiang Cheng spat out his cigarette and pointed at the big eyes, "If you don't speak, get lost. I have no patience left"

Jiang Sheng suppressed the irritation in his heart and the pain on his face caused by the wind, took out his mobile phone, and dialed Li Baoguo's number

Before the big-eyed one could respond, someone over there answered the phone

Li Baoguo leaned forward, staring intently in front of him.

If the homeroom teacher sees this, I wonder what they would say

Who are you! The one who took the lead was somewhat timid, but still shouted in dissatisfaction.

Claiming that at the intersection he was waiting for his "dad" Li Baoguo, he did not see anyone's shadow

It is a head of hair that has been cut into fragments, and the dirty face and clothes are quite distracting

What kind of place is this

Gu Miao shook her head

When he is in a bad mood, he is not very willing to meddle in others' affairs. Coincidentally, he is currently feeling exceptionally special and very unhappy, but just now, the clean, dark eyes of the little girl with big eyes made him turn his head back.

She took the phone, hesitated for a moment, pressed a few buttons while looking down, and then returned the phone.

He dragged his suitcase to the southernmost edge of the station square, where there were few people, and next to it was a small street lined with various quaint inns that seemed to trap you once you entered, as well as small restaurants that gave the impression of causing food poisoning after a meal

The phone in his pocket vibrated twice, marking the fifth time within three minutes, and Jiang Cheng opened his eyes

Why did you never mention before that you wanted to leave

For example, he thought that someone would come to pick him up at the station

He shrugged his shoulders in slight irritation, while the young woman merely tilted her head. He pushed her head away with his finger, but within a few seconds, her head returned to rest on his shoulder

Jiang Sheng furrowed his brows, as he had not yet had the opportunity to ponder over these matters

Just as my mother said, there has never been anyone as rebellious as you in our family, covered in thorns

The girl with big eyes stood next to him on a skateboard

Ah? Has it arrived so soon?" Li Baoguo exclaimed in surprise, "I am here, I am here, I will be out shortly.

Did you just get off the car?" Gu Fei glanced at his suitcase

"No." They said over there

Has your car arrived at the station? asked Li Baoguo

No. Jiang Sheng glanced at his motorcycle; no matter how large it was, it was still just a motorcycle

What is going on

A very short buzz cut, when tilted to the side, reveals a pattern of five lines etched into the scalp on both sides, with a bass clef on one side and a rest symbol on the other; Jiang Sheng could not clearly see how many dots there were.

Jiang Sheng turned his face to look at "Dirt Ball," wanting to hear what she had to say, but Gu Miao merely bowed to him at a 90-degree angle while holding her skateboard.

He dialed that number again, and this time the ringing was very brief before it was answered: "Who is it?"

Thank you. Gu Fei glanced at him, started the vehicle, turned the car around, and drove away

The driver wanted to chat, but Jiang Sheng remained silent, leaning against the car window and gazing outside. He attempted to raise his head several times but was unsuccessful, ultimately giving up and turning on the radio

"Alright, I understand." Jiang Sheng felt that this young girl might truly be mute

In this unfamiliar, cold city where snow was falling, he suddenly came to his senses

Nod

Upon seeing several heads peering out from the second-floor window in this direction, he truly felt no desire to speak any further

Jiang Sheng slowly walked over while dragging his suitcase, staring at the little girl who was still holding onto the big-eyed dress. After staring for two seconds, the little girl let go.

Jiang Shengli immediately understood what was going on, hesitated for a moment, then turned around and dragged his suitcase to continue walking forward

"Call your family to come and pick you up." Jiang Cheng handed her his phone

A burst of laughter coming from behind him made him stop in his tracks again

He has both the phone number and the address, but he simply does not want to move, does not want to speak, and does not want to act. He takes out a cigarette from his pocket and puts it in his mouth. He is filled with deep, inexplicable, bewildered, desperate, and angry feelings about suddenly finding himself here

In this small, insignificant city, the little school is unlikely to have anyone monitoring whether he smokes or not

The big eyes do not speak

The vehicle came to a stop at the destination, and Jiang Cheng got out with his suitcase, standing at the intersection

He does not know how long it will take to arrive at the station. He has not checked since he received the ticket, only knowing that he is going to a small town that he had not even heard of before this trip

Is that your brother? Jiang Cheng asked Gu Miao

Jiang Sheng sat back down on the stone stool. The internet was quite good at this moment, but surprisingly, no one had accepted an order for quite a while. The passing taxis didn't stop no matter how much he waved.

Thank you," this person finally turned his gaze to Jiang Cheng's face, extended his hand, "My name is Gu Fei, I am her brother

The chaos and dilapidation surrounding the train station formed his first impression of the city

Jiang Sheng stood up and shook hands with him: "You are welcome"

Although he felt very down, he had not taken the time to savor it; he only felt that during this period, he had been living in chaos, wrapped in various shocks and confusion, unable to catch his breath, and he had not even considered why he had agreed to all the arrangements that had brought him here

Ah," Li Baoguo patted him on the back twice, "How many years has it been? It must be over ten years, right? Finally, I get to see my son! I need to take a good look.

The big eyes did not move

"How?" Jiang Sheng looked at her

Jiang Sheng picked up the half-smoked cigarette he had just thrown on the ground and flicked it into the nearby trash can, then lit another one.

However, before he could reach out to help her, the little girl was pulled away by four or five other girls who followed closely behind, some of whom even kicked her in the back, causing her to stumble and nearly fall again

Of course, we are not family to begin with, and over the past few years, we have been treating each other like enemies, with both sides harboring animosity towards one another.

Surprisingly, there was no hint of apology in his words? Jiang Cheng smiled at her meaningfully, and the young woman was taken aback, her gaze falling on the marker pen he was twirling in his hand

He furrowed his brow and turned around, noticing a skateboard behind him

"Where are you going? I will take you," Gu Fei said

Irritated

... the East Train Station, the particularly dilapidated one, "Jiang Sheng frowned, "She is lost, hurry over, I have other matters to attend to"

Despair and pain, along with a resistance to all that is unknown, made his nose feel sour

With big eyes shaking her head, she took two steps back to the side of the skateboard, stepped onto it with one foot, and looked at him

He closed his eyes

A few young girls stopped, and one, who appeared to be the leader, glanced sideways and said, "What are you doing!"

Gu Miao, mute, skateboard

Life is indeed very wonderful

If you don't reply to the message soon, we will consider it a breakup

"Then you should make him hurry up," Jiang Cheng said, dragging the suitcase with one hand and pulling the big-eyed child with the other, "I was scared to death, he runs very fast."

Jiang Sheng's current mood resembles a pot of rotten tomatoes, yet Gu Fei's hairstyle is as striking as his legs, so he still took a couple of glances amidst the rotten tomatoes.

"Are you afraid they will come back?" Jiang Sheng asked somewhat helplessly again

Before he could look up to see where the skateboard had come from, a person fell at his feet

Quickly opened again

He pulled the big-eyed girl closer to him and looked at the several little girls: "It's all right now, let's go."

"What is wrong with your head?" The person in the car took off their helmet, got out, and walked over, glaring at Gu Miao's hair. "And your clothes... did you fall into a latrine?"

I don't know what's wrong, acting like a woman, it's really dull

"Do you have something to do?" Jiang Cheng asked impatiently, feeling a bit regretful for meddling and getting himself into an inexplicable trouble.

Hmm. Jiang Sheng picked up his phone and continued to think about opening the ride-hailing app to call for a car

What is yours? Jiang Sheng asked again

The big eyes shook their head

Rebellious?

This action has been repeated many times, and he feels that the girl is not just asleep, but rather in a state of unconsciousness.

He sat on the suitcase, took out his phone and looked again, yet no one had contacted him

Suddenly, I feel completely empty, as if the air around me is filled with confusion

Thank you, thank you very much, "They replied over there, "I will be there soon. If you have urgent matters, you can leave first. Just let her wait for me there."

When the phone vibrated for the sixth time, Jiang Cheng sighed and took out his phone

Jiang Sheng also stood up, looked out the car window, and saw that it had been gloomy all the way to this point, but it finally started to snow. He took his suitcase down from the luggage rack, put on his coat, walked to the car door, and took out his phone to turn it on.

After meeting his gaze, the young woman wiped her mouth, took out her phone, and while looking down, she said, "I’m sorry."

Jiang Sheng lowered his head to look at the muddy road surface, following him as he walked forward

He originally intended to call a car and leave directly, but then he felt that no one really cared whether he was coming or going, whether he was present or absent, and that he himself seemed to have nothing to be in a hurry about

Gu Miao

I apologize, but over there they said, "Can you tell me where it is? I will go over and see if I can piece it together."

Do you have the address? I don't have a car to pick you up, so please take a taxi here. I will wait for you at the intersection said Li Baoguo

Gu Miao nodded

Finally, it was no longer a question mark. He let out a sigh of relief, turned off his phone, and put it back in his pocket

He instinctively reached out to help, but his hand stopped halfway.

"Are you alright?" Jiang Sheng asked.

No, this can be considered the second impression. The first impression was the confusion in his mind when his mother said, "Go back, that is your true home".

"Quite handsome." Jiang Cheng gave her a thumbs up and then turned back, noticing a black motorcycle parked behind him

The young woman woke up, raised her face, and there was a large mark on her forehead, as if she had practiced some kind of martial arts.

Ah! he shouted

For him, the breakup held no significance; a two-month romance in high school was merely characterized by a bit more conversation than his classmates, someone bringing him breakfast, and having a dedicated cheerleading squad during basketball games... It never even reached the level where they could do anything meaningful together

"Damn," Jiang Cheng furrowed his brows as he pressed the dial button. Listening to the dialing tone in the receiver, he asked again, "Whose number is this in your family?"

"Oh." Jiang Cheng responded, finding this kind of conversation surprisingly amusing, and he couldn't help but laugh.

Hmm. Jiang Sheng took a sip of cola

Jiang Sheng remained silent; he saw Li Baoguo running out from a residential building that was closely adjacent behind him

The girl with big eyes nodded slightly, gently pushed off with her foot, glided on the skateboard to stand in front of him, and then came to a steady stop, still looking at him